xi, 217 pages ; 22 cm

"Karl Marx (1818-1883)--philosopher, historian, sociologist, economist, current affairs journalist, and editor--was one of the most influential and revolutionary thinkers of modern history, but he is rarely thought of as a Jewish thinker, and his Jewish background is either overlooked or misrepresented. Here, distinguished scholar Shlomo Avineri argues that Marx's Jewish origins did leave a significant impression on his work. Marx was born in Trier, then part of Prussia, and his family had enjoyed equal rights and emancipation under earlier French control of the area. But then its annexation to Prussia deprived the Jewish population of its equal rights. These developments led to the reluctant conversion of Marx's father, and similar tribulations radicalized many young intellectuals of that time who came from a Jewish background. Avineri puts Marx's Jewish background in its proper and balanced perspective, and traces Marx's intellectual development in light of the historical, intellectual, and political contexts in which he lived."--Publisher's description

Includes bibliographical references (pages 199-202) and index

Jew? Of Jewish Origin? A Converted Jew? -- Transcending Hegel -- "Zur Judenfrage" -- Paris and Brussels: Formative Years -- The Communist Manifesto and the Revolutions of 1848 -- London: From Abject Penury to Middle-Class Existence -- The First International and Das Kapital -- The Paris Commune and the Gotha Program: Debacle and Hope -- Toward the Sunset -- A Historical Perspective: Impact and Legacy

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